Cubs roll to easy win; receive good news on reliever Thornton
The soul-crushing bad luck suffered by the Cubs in the late innings of Monday's Detroit defeat was paid back in no time.
Everything turned up blue on Tuesday at Wrigley Field as the Cubs scored 6 runs in the first inning on the way to an easy 11-2 victory over the Tigers.
Even better, reliever Trent Thornton, struck on the left foot by a rocket line drive in Monday's 10th inning, wasn't black and blue a day later. The Cubs believe he can avoid a trip to the injured list.
This one got off to an ideal start from the fans' perspective — a triple by Pete Crow-Armstrong into the right-field corner. The first seven Cubs hitters reached base, including a wind-blown single by Ian Happ. What looked like a routine fly out to right got caught in the wind and despite an all-out sprint from Detroit outfielder Ben Malgeri, it landed for a hit.
When PCA came up a second time and walked in a run, Tigers starter Framber Valdez left the mound before the first inning was over.
“It was a 'move the line' type of inning,” manager Craig Counsell said. “If you get a starter like that out in the first inning, you collectively, and teamwide, had a really good approach.”
Michael Conforto later foiled the wind with a 2-run homer in the fifth, tying the franchise record with his fourth pinch-hit home run of the season. Glenallen Hill also had four in 1999.
When the season began, no one would have expected David Peterson and Aaron Civale to combine for a 4-hit shutout at Wrigley Field. It almost happened, until Detroit's Dillon Dingler hit his third home run of the series off Civale in the ninth inning.
Peterson pitched 6 2/3 innings, exactly what the Cubs needed after a short start and extra innings on Monday. Peterson was knocked around by St. Louis, but in his other three starts for the Cubs, his ERA is 1.58.
“When those guys are running to the bat rack and excited to hit, my job is to put the ball in the zone, get quick outs, let them get back in and start hitting again,” said Peterson, a former Met. “It's been fun to work with the pitching coaches and kind of learn, see what they do over here, things that can help me.”
Needless to say, the Cubs don't need any more pitching injuries, so Thornton's positive prognosis was welcome news. X-rays and a CT scan were negative, while Thornton could be seen walking without a limp in the clubhouse.
“I'm optimistic to not be on the IL,” he said before Tuesday's game. “See how it feels going down the slope tomorrow. I'm willing it, that it's going to feel fine and should be good to go by later this week.”
The line drive that hit Thornton, by Detroit's Riley Greene, had the highest exit velocity of the night at 108.9 miles per hour, according to StatCast.
After getting hit, Thornton ran toward the first-base line and picked up the ball, but was unable to make a throw to first, which likely wouldn't have been in time anyway. The right-hander limped off the field, and that was just the start of the Cubs' 10th-inning misfortune.
“In my mind, I was going to make that play,” Thornton said. “Then as soon as I planted my foot, I went, 'Ouch, that hurt.' Then I don't know where the ball went after that (toward second base).”
Thornton's entire season has been a remarkable story. Pitching for Seattle last season, he tore his left Achilles while covering first base on July 31, which caused him to miss the Mariners' playoff run and having to seek a new team last winter.
Somehow, Thornton was healthy and back on the mound for Triple-A Iowa on April 24. The eight-year veteran was quickly promoted and became a vital piece to the Cubs' injury-ravaged bullpen, with a 2.70 ERA in 27 appearances.
Thornton was struck on the inside of his left heel, which brought to mind last year's injury.
“It kind of scared me a little bit,” he said. “After the play ended, everything happened so quick, then I went, 'Oh man, my foot.' It was just pulsing. And I'm thinking, 'Oh goodness, is it something to do with my Achilles?' Because it was all just numb at that point.”
One other note regarding relief pitcher injury news, manager Craig Counsell said Phil Maton received a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection in his injured right knee. Maton just began his third stint on the injured list for the same injury.